Grass Valley Motorcyclist Wreck Leads Friends to Start Fundraiser

The death of a Grass Valley man in a motorcycle wreck last week has led friends to start a GoFundMe page for his family.

Darren Blackwell, 50, died Thursday afternoon after his 2005 Yamaha collided with a 2015 Dodge Journey sport utility vehicle. Alert and speaking to authorities after the crash in the parking lot of a Safeway located on Sutton Street, Blackwell died in an ambulance while en route to an Auburn hospital, Grass Valley Police Lt. Joe Matteoni said.

Placer County authorities said Blackwell died of blunt force injuries.

Friends of Blackwell have started a GoFundMe page to offset funeral costs. The site states that Blackwell is survived by a wife, three children and a grandchild.

The wreck that authorities say led to Blackwell’s death happened around 2:15 p.m. last Thursday. Blackwell, driving at a high rate of speed, collided with an SUV driven by Mary Rogers. The SUV had almost come to a complete stop, and the collision sent Blackwell across the vehicle’s windshield. He landed about 6 feet from the SUV, Matteoni said.

The SUV, with a damaged front fender and windshield, was driven from the scene afterward. The motorcycle was towed, the lieutenant said.

If you wish to make a donation you can simply visit https://www.gofundme.com/jes26r-blackwell-family. Thus far 33 different people have donated a total of $3,510. The set goal for the GoFundMe account is set at $5,000 set goal.